The US imprimatur on the NATO-Afghan declaration for transferring security responsibility to the government in Kabul by the end of 2014, and its resoluteness to weaken the Taliban is obvious. ++ Therefore, the period between now and July 2011- when the withdrawal of the US troops begins - will be critical. ++ With his national reconciliation policy under threat, Afghan President Hamid Karzai may be politically weakened. ++ And should the US fail to hurt the Taliban militarily, the declaration will be rendered a museum piece.

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